An Ordinary Man

Built by the Belgian Sabena Corporation in 1973, the Mille Collines hotel is a symbol of luxury, where the rent of some of the luxurious rooms is equivalent to the average annual salary of a Rwandan citizen. The hotel hosts diplomats, international humanitarian workers, and the occasional tourist. Then, during the genocide, the hotel provides refuge for hundreds of people.

Paul first sets his eyes on the hotel, he has “no idea just how large a role this strange new place was going to play in [his] life—or in the life of Rwanda” (33). Nevertheless, he falls in love with the place: “The Hotel Mille Collines was something like an old friend to me…[m]y troubles in marriage had made me bitter and hurt, but I threw myself back into my work with vigor and not a little bit of relief. It became my solace” (44).

Paul learns the art of communication during his years as manager of Mille Collines. During the genocide, he applies these negotiation skills to assuage ruthless murderers and save the lives of hundreds of people. He is quick to see that compromise is possible when there is an offer on the table: “someone who deals can never be an absolute hard-liner.